


Battle

by DarthKrande



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 16:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2032092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthKrande/pseuds/DarthKrande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tarn and Megatron's greatest human fan competing in a way any fans would often do. She's not an OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Battle

**Author's Note:**

> „That is, of course, if you are what you appear to be. - Uh, what do we appear to be? – Fanboys.” (Fanboys, 2007)  
> This fic is absolutely based on my real life experience of many fan quizes on different fan conventions. If you don’t believe such fan quiz can go in a friendly atmosphere, rest assured: they do.

“When did Megatron create Kremz...?” Helex didn’t even have time to finish his question when both a dominant deep and a higher, just as unswerving voice replied “December 27, 1985”. Which was, of course, the correct answer.  
“Unison” Kaon announced. “After round three, you are still at a tie of eight correct answers. With Tarn being ahead by only two and a half astroseconds in the total answering time.”  
It doesn’t sound so bad, Tarn silently admitted to himself. Outwards, he was calm. Inwards, he was focused. Four more questions were still to come. One from each of his colleagues, and he knew them better than to expect the last questions to be easy.  
“Two point five astrosecs? That is because Tarn has good reflexes.”  
“As it is expected of me” the purple masked mech replied, blinking at his opponent with an almost-giggle.  
“I know. You need it in battle.” Her voice was that of a friend. Her smile was that of a comrade. And her dedication to Megatron would have put any Decepticon to shame. “You may need that advantage, considering what happened last year.” Her remark was a painful reminder of her humiliating victory over the second greatest Megatron fan. Tarn had been anticipating the rematch ever since.  
And now here they were standing, a fleshling and the DJD leader, at a tie after three rounds of questions. There were no written rules for the challenge; but a tradition built on mutual respect and the assistance of the other four Megatron followers. There was no prize, only triumph in front of the select few. No physical reminder of either victory or defeat. Absolutely no cheating. The preparations went with so much secrecy that Tarn wasn’t even informed of who helped Vos translate his questions.  
Just a few steps away from the opponents, Tesarus was still musing on the one question neither of them got right.  
„I can’t believe it was that hard. Why didn’t it occur to you that he pitfights were clamped after the 54th battle? That means 54 victories.” Really, they should have known.  
“’Because I’m an idiot, that’s why!’” both of them replied. Then they looked at each other, noticing they picked the same quote for the right moment. A bro-fist was due.  
Tarn looked his opponent in the eye. She was the ultimate Megatron fanatic, one who had been supporting the Decepticon cause back when the DJD was nothing more than a daring idea of a sleepless plotter. She had done her best to keep Megatron’s name untainted, his plans undisturbed. Despite their obvious differences, it was unquestioned that she had belonged to the Peaceful Tyranny crew. Even Kaon’s pet had long accepted her.  
“Are you ready for the last round?” Kaon asked. Yes they were.  
“I’m going to quote from the beginning of a speech. I want to hear the last two words.”  
Oh. Quotations. Tarn’s favorite type of trivia. It wasn’t like he expected his team mates to give him any advantage, since it was a battle of the zealous, and there was no prize but the satisfaction of being the best. Kaon was a neutral referee now, but if he prepared an easy question for the last round, Tarn wasn’t going to turn down his help.  
“’Fellow Decepticons, Megatron, your Leader speaks. For too long , we have suffered under Autobot oppression, banished from our rightful....’ ”  
Tarn had already identified the speech as one of those with Starsceam as the demonstration tool, but....  
“’Much better!’ ” the organic shouted before the tankformer could have said a word. Kaon had calmly added nineteen astroseconds and one more correct answer to her data. He announced the small totals with a gloating grin. Tarn muttered, ’Oh destiny, how it pleases you to caress a few and molest others.’ Compassion was clearly not in Kaon’s job description.  
And now it was Tesarus’s turn.  
“It will be a clear and simple question, with only one answer, this time. Which statue of Megatron was built the fastest, ever?”  
„The Armada” Tarn answered. His red optics glowed up in an anticipating light as Kaon gave him the eleven astroseconds while his answer count was at a tie yet again. Shared goals and mutual interest were one thing, mercy was another. “’I want to savour this moment...’”  
„What? That you’ve caught up with me?” the female stared. “We both have nine correct answers, and two more questions to go.”  
„Midget” was the reply.  
„Scraptutonium.”  
A tired sigh was heard from the background. The X-faced grinder was bored with the banter, but what for? In the second round, he asked, “How many times had Lord Megatron killed Orion Pax?” just because he knew how a similar question went last year. Back then, he had carelessly asked how many times had Megatron killed Optimus Prime. It had led to a loud debate whether killing Orion Pax had counted or not, a debate which bore Tesarus half-dead. This year the large mech dared the same question with Orion Pax. Well, Tarn would not mind, as long as it had easily gained him a much needed score.  
But now it was Vos’s time to ask. Unlike the others, the targetmaster could not even pretend to be detached. And not only was he openly siding with the fleshling, he had some very nasty surprises for them. As ever.  
“Finish quote” he said. When he talked in Neocybex it was odd enough, but him talking in the humans’ language was outright creepy. Tarn braced himself for whatever was to come.  
“’I’m on a...’”  
‘I’m on a’? Was that a quote to complete?  
“’....jet!’” the fleshling shouted with glee. “And he was standing on Starscream’s back. One of his most hilarious moments, ever! ‘This was almost too easy!‘”  
Tarn watched her as Kaon announced the current results. He had to answer the last question in less than twelve astroseconds, or else the human would beat him yet again.  
“The last question, Helex” Tarn requested.  
“To whom did Lord Megatron say the following? ‘I've heard it said that we only gain wisdom through suffering, and tonight I intend to make you very wise.’”  
Auch. It was one of Tarn’s favorites, maybe because of the education the Division was doing on a regular basis. But to whom was it said first?  
And this little musing was enough for him to run out of time.  
„Sentinel? Before taking his spark out?” The human was uncertain.  
„Before burning his spark out” Helex corrected her with a nod. She gave the unmistakable fangirl scream. Victory was hers.  
Tarn stood up, and turned to face his conqueror.  
“’Brilliant, for a flesh creature.’ That is all I have to say.”  
They shook hands. It was a human gesture, but it expressed that they were no longer opponents, but fanatics of the same glorious leader. There would be no opposition between them until next year.  
“Hey, you are still his best transforming follower” she pointed out. “Right?”  
“Without a question, Raksha.”


End file.
